The Natural History of Selborne

Turneps are very small this year, and are on the decay.

Sky strangely streaked with blue and red.  Wind & rain in the night.  Larks rise & essay to sing.  Daws begin to come to churches.

Small snow. More snow.  By a letter from town it appears that in London in an hard frost Martin’s thermometer is just at the same pitch abroad in the area, that it is with me in the dining-room without a fire.

Barometer sinks apace.  Dark sun, stars dark.

Paths very dusty.  Blue mist still.

Small snow on the ground.  Water bottles freeze in chambers.

Frost comes within doors.  Thermometer within 28, in the wine vault 43 1/2, abroad 24.

Wood-lice, onisci aselli, appear all the winter in mild weather: spiders appear all the winter in moist weather; lepismae appear all the winter round hearths & in warm places.  Some kinds of gnats appear all the winter in mild weather, as do earth-worms, after it is dark, when there is no frost.

Wrens whistle all the winter except in severe frost.  Wrens whistle much more than any English bird in a wild state.  The redbreast sings great part of the year; but at intervals is silent.  This year concludes with a very wet season, which has lasted from the middle of Octr last, & has occasioned vast floods, & desolation both at home & abroad.  Much wheat-land in wet countries remains unsown.

The lavants, or land-springs run very strong between Faringdon & Chawton.